MEGASTAR, MEGA ENDORSER
by Zina Raphaelle, Mod, November 28, 1998

There's something about Sharon Cuneta that makes her a favorite endorser for TV commercials. It must be her popularity, her mass appeal, her innate charm or her wholesome image, or a little of everything. But she has endorsed a lot of products and services in the past, and her latest commercial -- which is airing very frequently on primetime - is the Alaska Milk commercial, where she is shown enjoying a bowl of Alaska Sopas. She pits talent with child actors, who include Fil-Am girl Charity Sanoy, star of Repertory Philippines' recent production Annie.

Despite having made a lot of commercials in the past, Sharon, who's acknowledged as Philippine show business' one and only Megastar, prides herself in endorsing only products and services that she truly believes in. And she happens to believe in Alaska Milk, that when the opportunity to do a commercial for the milk brand came her way, she had no second thoughts about doing it at all.

Sharon always follows her instinct in her choices of projects, be it commercials, movies or songs -- with guidance, of course, from her manager, her family and her closest friends.

Born with a silver spoon to former Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta and Elaine Cuneta, Sharon has always been a favored child of show business from the time she recorded her first song, Tawag ng Pag-ibig, at age 12, and made a monster hit out of Mr. DJ. From there, there was no stopping the pretty teenager. She joined the movies and starred in a number of films. Young love blossomed on the set of Dear Heart, and before anyone knew it, Sharon was walking down the aisle with loveteam Gabby Concepcion. `Twas a union that produced a lovely daughter, Kristina Cassandra, or KC.

Sharon was a phenomenon. She seemed to have everything -- fame, fortune, family, and everything else that any young lady could ever hope for. So when her marriage crumbled, her fans were devastated for her. It proved one thing, though: Sharon was human, after all, and it endeared her to people even more.

Despite being granted an annulment for her first marriage. It took Sharon a long time before deciding to march down the aisle again, and it took a God-fearing and responsible man like Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan to make her take the plunge a second time.

Determined to make her marriage work this time, she even left her showbiz career - her top-rating musical - variety show The Sharon Cuneta Show (TSCS) included -- to join Kiko in Boston, where he pursued special studies. KC was with them of course.

Now, she's back -- with a vengeance! She's got a new TV show, simply titled Sharon, and she's got a new hit commercial, too. Most of all, she has proven one thing: She'll always be in the hearts of the Filipino people, regardless of whether she's in the country or away.